The Future of Work in Logistics
To meet growing e-commerce demand, alleviate labor shortages, and build more supply chain resilience, businesses will need to deploy strategies to attract, retain, develop, and motivate workers in a digital era, says a report from DHL. Highlights from the report include:
Millennials and Gen Zers seek jobs with more purpose, less repetitive tasks, and more flexible work environments. For the first time in history, digital natives will begin to outnumber those who began their careers pre-internet. This influx of younger people in the workforce is accelerating a shift of values in the workplace to sustainability, diversity and inclusion, wellness, and tech-forward environments.
Most logistics workers believe technology has been beneficial to their role in the past five years and will remain so in the next 10 years, yet more than 50% still view technology as a potential threat. While the logistics sector won’t instantly flip the switch from human labor to full automation, logistics leaders see a gradual 30-year period of change in which more roles will collaborate with technology instead of competing with it.
Address the needs and concerns of the workforce. Most logistics leaders say they want to work in the office anywhere from part time to full time, with 60% of operations workers wanting to work remotely at least once per week. Consider ways to make flexible work more accessible through new company policies and technologies. It’s important to ask employees how they feel and what they want, the report recommends.